OPTIMAL HARVESTING STRATEGIES FOR A METAPOPULATION

We consider optimal strategies for harvesting a population that is com posed of two local populations. The local populations are connected by the dispersal of juveniles, e.g. larvae, and together form a metapopu lation. We model the metapopulation dynamics using coupled difference equations. Dynamic programming is used to determine policies for explo itation that are economically optimal. The metapopulation harvesting t heory is applied to a hypothetical fishery and optimal strategies are compared to harvesting strategies that assume the metapopulation is co mposed either of single unconnected populations or of one well-mixed p opulation. Local populations that have high per capita larval producti on should be more conservatively harvested than would be predicted usi ng conventional theory. Recognizing the metapopulation structure of a stock and using the appropriate theory can significantly improve econo mic gains.